It’s that time of year again for our holiday gift guide. This year, we have some amazing holiday gift picks for you and our categories include fashion, romance, savory, and travel. Let’s get rolling.
Les Monts Sunglasses
We absolutely love the sunglasses by Les Monts’, based out of Northern Italy. Nestled in a valley surrounded by The Dolomite Mountain Range, this historical town is known for world-class eyewear. They have a beautiful diverse collection that includes plastic and metal finishes, and their designs are for both men and women.
Their glasses are made in Italy and hand-finished in New York City. We fell in love with the Berkshire collection, which has a plastic finish (opposed to their metal frames which are composed with fine titanium). This collection comes in three different colors: Obsidian (black), a pretty Terracotta and the one we opted to test out in this review, the Travertine, which is a light tan with a beautiful sheen (pictured below). The hardware is rose gold, the lens a Honey CR39, and each lens has 100% UVA/UVB protection and anti-reflective coating.
Above, the Berkshire collection: Travertine color.
The artisans who create the glasses execute a variety of unique details for each and every frame. For example, a single pair of Les Monts spectacles incorporates over 200 steps which can take nearly a half year to produce; a process in which each frame involves the expertise of over 60 craftsmen. Yes, really…
The packaging and sunglasses cases are stunning – pure luxe!
Les Monts spectacles are rare and handmade, and as such, no two pairs are exactly the same. Behind the scenes, they use a 50-point checklist that includes standards for quality, fit, alignment, and comfort. If a frame does not receive all 50 points, it isn’t sold. Incredible, right?
Different styles from Les Monts
To find out more, including how to order, be sure to visit their website.
Katia Designs Jewelry
Take a look at the stunning necklaces from Katia Designs. Their wide array of options made them an easy pick for this year’s holiday gift guide. They tout themselves as a collection of “spiritual jewelry that speaks to the heart and brightens the day.” Each piece of jewelry features an empowering message, as well as other components, such as gemstones, crystals, and more. There are so many designs and styles to choose from, but we fell in love with their grounded extra long mandala; by extra long, it means full length, which extends from 60 to 66 inches long.
Stunning stones…
It comes with a bronze finish pendant, and includes some of our favorite grounding stones: green moss, agate, tiger’s eye and pearls. And it has a non-magnetic clasp.
They offer a wide variety of styles and themes. For example, spirit animals, flowers and more elegant styles as well.
Above: Spirit animal offerings….
Above: Flower power offerings…
Two thumbs up – they also offer bracelets, boho wraps, chains, rosaries and more. You can find out more about their designs as well as order from their website.
LâMO Shoes
We recently discovered LâMO shoes for men and women. Given the casual and comfy nature of the shoes and the wide variety, we opted to review their men’s line this holiday season. Our favorite style has to go to the Tate, which is such a great option for avid travelers. The Tate shoe is with a heavy canvas and lined with a thin breathable canvas. It also comes with a genuine leather LAMO icon label and genuine leather appliqué LAMO logo. The shoe also has a Cirrus Memory Foam Footbed, waxed cotton laces and a new vulcanized rubber outsole.
Also a great option for travel is the Justin, which comes in gray and black. This lightweight and comfortable LAMO-LITE silhouette pairs well with any outfit and features a jersey knit or textile upper and a thin footbed, One of the things we loved about it is how soft the material is and the comfy fit – perfect for any casual trip. There’s a light canvas lining and what they refer to as a LAMO-LITE EVA outsole.
Above: The Justin
Another style we really liked for its versatility, flexibility and range is the Michael LAMO-LITE, which comes in four color options: Beige, Black, Gray and Navy.
This shoe checks both the comfortable and durable boxes, as it includes their LAMO-LITE EVA outsole, a leather lined “hypercushion” footbed and an engineered knit breathable upper. All of their footwear with LAMO-LITE outsoles have a 30-day Comfort Guarantee too.
You can’t have a holiday gift guide without shoes, and the LâMO brand is known for their original authentic sheepskin product line, making them a natural choice for travelers. Their current line includes classic sheepskin styles, moccasins, sandals, house shoes and casual footwear. For more information, including how to order, visit their website.
Starlette Galleria Rings
Recently, we came across Starlette Galleria rings, which have the look of an engagement or celebration ring, but without the hefty cost. We had an opportunity to review the Abigail ring (available in both gold and silver). It’s a stunning 2-carat princess cut center stone, surrounded by an intricate double halo of pavé stones.
The setting is made of certified 925 sterling silver and plated in rhodium, so it will never turn your finger green or leave any types of markings behind. And, the stones are made of 100% simulated diamond material. The princess cut double halo ring is a great ring as a holiday gift, an engagement, an anniversary or Valentine’s Day. It’s a very affordable price point (under $150) and looks amazing.
They offer a variety of styles as well and you can view by carat size, finish (silver or gold) or style. For example, they offer rings in dainty, vintage, halo, and solitare, as well as promise rings, stackable engagement and wedding rings and more.
For more information, including how to order, be sure to visit their site.
Good Chemistry Perfumes
We love the packaging and scents of Good Chemistry Perfumes, a brand we just discovered this year. From their lab to your doorstep, they focus on “clean, honest, and day-brightening formulas.” They are PETA certified cruelty-free and vegan, made with essential oils, and have full ingredient transparency. They are also free of any parabens, phthalates, propylene glycol, dyes, and GMOs. Bravo bravo!
They offer a number of different scents, in Eau de Parfum and roll-on, as well as travel sprays and a body mist. Their Queen Bee, which is one of their most concentrated formulas, has notes of black currant, peony, and amber. You can use the Eau de Parfum as your base, and layer with a complementing travel spray or body mist if you wish as well. They suggest you apply to your pulse points, the wrist, neck, and even the back of the knees, as a way to heighten your senses.
Their Magnolia Violet offers notes of magnolia, peony, and amber, equating to a romantic feel, whereas their Tiger Lily (one of our favorites) combines orange flower, vanilla, and amber.
Like all great products, there’s a science and art to their creations. To illustrate this, they have top note, middle note and a base note. For example, the top note as orange flower, the middle note as amber and the base note as vanilla. Their packaging is elegant, making any of their offerings a beautiful option, another reason we decided to include them in this year’s holiday gift guide.
Good Chemistry has also partnered with TerraCycle on recycling – yay! For more information, including how to order, visit their website.
Singing Bowls
We discovered the beautiful singing bowls from the Himalayas Shop, which are all hand made. It’s a family-run business and they collect singing bowls from some of the best artisans from first and second generations. Their main intention is to help people transform and have spiritual experiences. Truth be told, sound can harmonize the body and bring about relaxation and serenity, making it a perfect holiday gift or frankly, anytime of year.
Tibetan Bowl with flower of life etched on the inside – comes in an 8-9 inch size
We had an opportunity to review one of their Tibetan flower of life singing bowls, which is carved with the flower of life symbol (above). The symbol, with its seven interconnected circles, symbolizes the interconnection of life on Earth and universal existence. It also symbolizes that all life originated from a single source in a divine plan. The one we received was different than the one depicted above, but does include the flower of life on the inside as well and is around seven inches. (see below)
Their bowls come with a ring cushion, a wooden stick and a felt mallet. Below are some of their more popular singing bowls so you can get an idea of some of their other styles.
They have a wide array of styles to choose from from both their main site as well as on Etsy. Most of their handicrafts, including the singing bowls are closely related to the Buddhist teaching. Like anything else, with deeper understanding of the symbolism, you can use it to enhance your life’s journey and bring in more peace, energy and joy.
Visit their website and their Etsy store for more information, including how to order.
Devoción Coffee
Everyone knows that Colombian coffee is amazing. What sets Devoción coffee apart is their freshness, touting a quick turnaround from their Bogotá facility to New York. They hand-select 1,000+ farm partners, then dry-mill in Colombia, control the export process, and then roast in Brooklyn.
And, they have a ton of really unique flavors, including the following (not an exhaustive list)
Yum, right? They claim that they’re the only company in the world that roasts true farm-fresh coffee only ten days after leaving origin. In addition to being able to purchase bags of coffee online, they have physical cafes in New York City, both in the Flatiron district of Manhattan and in Brooklyn (also see chocolate and wine in the Big Apple). Many times, when you buy coffee, you may not know how long it has been sitting for; some coffee beans sit around for months, which means that they lose flavor every day. Colombian-born Steven Sutton launched Devoción in 2006 to produce the freshest coffee.
For more information, including how to order, visit their website.
Functional Chocolate
We’ve known about Functional Chocolate for a while and we remain fans. From their packaging and diverse offerings to their intentional ingredients, you’ll want to give their chocolate a try.
Although you can order their chocolate bars independently, they offer great packs focused on a need or theme, such as health, sleep, menopause, sleep, sensuality and beyond. For example, their Health Realities Pack features four bars: Mellow Mint Truffle Carefree Bar for Stress & Anxiety, Zesty Orange Brainy Chocolate for Focus & Productivity, Blueberry Lavender Sleepy Chocolate and Espresso Crunch Energy Chocolate.
Or, how about their Sexy Me Feel Good pack for fun? This pack includes six delicious bars: Champagne Berry Sexy Bars for Libido Liberation, Espresso Crunch Energy Bars and Mellow Mint Truffle Carefree Bars for Stress and Anxiety. All beautifully packaged as well, making it perfect for a holiday gift, birthday or other special occasion.
Functional Chocolate’s Sexy Me Feel Good Pack
Also perfect for a date night, their Espresso Crunch Energy Chocolate is designed to lift energy and vitality for when 
there are too few hours in the day.
We all could use a little extra burst in our day. In their energy chocolate bars, they include Chocamine, a patented cocoa-based ingredient shown to provide sustained energy without jitters, alongside a blend of vitamins, taurine, L-Tyrosine, schizandra berry and green tea extract.
Energy Chocolate offers a full day boost without the side effects associated with many other types of energy supplements.
The company’s co-founder Chris Peruzzi began by pairing ingredients using his decades of natural product knowledge with decadent chocolate. It started out as a way to help his kids PMS, stress and anxiety symptoms. Functional Chocolate Bars can now be found in hundreds of stores nationwide, but easy to find and order online as well. For more information about them, including how to order, visit their website.
Feel free to check out our other gift guides, as well as last year’s holiday gift guide.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
